1. Field of the invention
The present invention generally relates to a door mirror assembly for use in motor vehicles and more particularly to a sealing arrangement which includes a sealing means for preventing the air from passing through a clearance made between a mirror stay and a mirror case during the driving of the vehicle to eliminate or reduce the possible noise due to the rapid passage of the air therebetween.
2. Description of the related art
As is well known, there has been provided the above-described type door mirror assembly which has a mirror stay secured on the outer surface of a door of a motor vehicle and a mirror case including therein a mirror and a mirror driving unit and pivotally mounted on the mirror stay. Japanese laid-open utility model publication No. 60-124355 shows the above-described type door mirror assembly which has a sealing arrangement between the mirror stay and mirror case. The sealing arrangement comprises an annular or endless sealing lip member projecting from a curved end face of the mirror case toward a curved end face of the mirror stay which faces the end face of the case. The lip member extends along the periphery of the end face of the mirror case so as to seal the clearance made between the opposed end faces of the mirror case and stay. Accordingly, when the motor vehicle runs, the air is prevented from passing through the clearance between the mirror case and stay, resulting in the reduction of the possible noise which may be generated by the rapid passage of the air through said clearance.
As is well known, the centering of the centers of the curved end faces of the mirror case and stay is difficult. Accordingly, it is not avoidable that the centers of both curved end faces of the case and stay are erroneously made eccentrically. According to the conventional art, in this case, the frictional force between the lip member and the opposed end face comes quite large and an undesirable gap therebetween advantageously appears.
Further, when the mirror case is rotated between a normal position, in which a driver can see the mirror, and a laid position in which the mirror case become substantially parallel with the door, the tip portion of the lip member frictionally slides on the end face of the mirror stay. In the conventional art, the sealing member does not easily deform due to the frictional force between the member and the end face of the mirror stay. Therefore, if the frictional force is relatively large, the smooth movement of the mirror case with respect to the mirror stay is not ensured, and also uncomfortable loud noise is generated. Thus, the height of the projected sealing means must be precisely adjusted so that the frictional force is relatively small. It is to be noted that it is quite difficult to completely eliminate the error of the height of the lip member at every portions thereof. Therefore, when there is an error, even though it is a slight error, a gap between the lip member and the end face of the mirror stay may be made, disadvantageously to permit the passage of the air therethrough.